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Central Jersey patrons singing praises of summer cruises

Erica Lamberg, Correspondent;
Published 1:52 p.m. ET May 6, 2014

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Branchburg residents Denise and Jim Ostroski, center, toured Europe while on a cruise. In August they are taking their family on a cruise to Bermuda on the Norwegian Breakaway.
(Photo:
COURTESY OF JIM OSTROSKI
)

Pink sand and clear, blue water to snorkel in — all this without a flight.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway, which is docked year-round in Manhattan, will make seven-day, round-trip cruises to Bermuda all summer. The first cruise kicked off this past weekend. The ship docks in King’s Wharf, Bermuda, for three days, giving its guests the freedom to explore the island’s golf courses, famous pink-sand beaches, cultural offerings and shops. There are also three “sea days” where guests can enjoy the ship’s amenities.

“Breakaway, one of Norwegian’s newer ships, has a lot to more to offer than their other ships,” said Maurine Caruso, travel agent with Wanderlust Travel in Raritan. “Leaving from New York City is always convenient, and it’s great for some people who are afraid to fly.”

She said a cruise vacation is a good value, especially without the added expense of a flight.

“Cruising is a great choice for vacation because you can do as much or as little as you want,” Caruso added. “They always have activities going on or you can just sit by the pool or go to the spa. Cruises have something for everyone.”

David M. Potter, a resident of the Belle Mead section of Montgomery, said a big draw of a cruise for his family of four was not having to fly or take a long drive.

He sailed Breakaway to Bermuda last summer.

“New York City was very easy,” he said.

Potter, a chiropractor specializing in family and wellness care in the Somerset section of Franklin and North Brunswick, said his family selected Norwegian’s Haven program, a suite of luxury accommodations with concierge services, a private restaurant and increased privacy overall.

“We picked the Breakaway because of the Haven. It gave us all the advantages of cruising: good food, entertainment, variety of excursions, plus privacy,” he said.

Potter learned of the Haven from his travel agent at All Your Dreams Travel in Ocean County. “While it was greater in price, it absolutely made the experience for us,” he added. “We wanted to relax and rest.”

Breakaway has a New York theme woven throughout. Breakaway’s entertainment includes a performance of the Broadway show “Rock of Ages,” the dance sensation “Burn the Floor,” famed comedy troupe The Second City, Howl at the Moon dueling pianos and New York Blues Hall of Fame guitarist Slam Allen.

The ship features an ice bar, which is kept at 17 degrees and showcases ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty and the Chrysler Building. New York City-inspired food and beverage offerings include iconic Sabrett hot dog carts and Brooklyn Lager beer. The ship returns to calling on Florida and the Bahamas on Oct. 5, after the season to Bermuda.

Norwegian’s newest addition, Getaway, the sister ship of Breakaway, will be based year-round in Miami. The ship will call on the ports of St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Nassau. Norwegian Getaway boasts Miami flavor and favor throughout. A suggestion from Jim Ostroski of Branchburg about sailing in Miami or other cities where a flight is involved: Fly in a day early so flight delays or weather aren’t an issue. “It gave us an extra day of real vacation, a chance to catch our breath from the air flight hassle out of Newark and wriggle room,” he said. “The departure out of the Miami harbor was also exhilarating: tThe city skyline was backlit by the sunset and the deck top deck-top band was playing up-beat Caribbean music.”

Passengers can sample Cuban coffee and Latin American dishes reflective of Norwegian Getaway’s home port at the Flamingo Grill. There’s also an ice bar with sculptures of Miami’s iconic art deco Ocean Drive and an alligator, an homage to the Florida Everglades.

Norwegian Getaway also offers a range of cabins and the Haven for the discerning traveler.

Caruso said, “Miami is a great port also since it is a short flight and you can sail to the islands that are further south in the Caribbean.”

Advice for selecting Norwegian Getaway and other ships: Book early.Her advice for booking a cruise: Do it early.

”“The cruises always have better specials when you book early,” Caruso said.

Somerset County family sails away

Ostroski, his wife, Denise, and their family are set to sail Norwegian Breakaway in August. A senior technical consultant for a firm in New York, he said they started cruising after his wife won a few thousand dollars in the lottery. Ostroski said they sailed to Alaska and “loved it, and we are hooked on cruising.”

Ostroski said he has worked out of New York for 15 years.

“I had views of the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge and often wondered how it would be to sail by and under them on a cruise liner,” he said, adding that his wife’s bucket list was to take their whole family: twin daughters and an older son with their companions, on a cruise together.

“A seve- day seven-day Bermuda cruise out of New York City fit our schedules and budget,” Ostroski said. “We wanted to sail Norwegian Cruise Line again and the Breakaway is the only Norwegian ship that makes the Bermuda cruise out of New York City. We have sailed many smaller Norwegian ships and the Breakaway offers so much more of what we liked so much.”

He added that Norwegian’s free-style cruising platform gives flexibility gives passengers the flexibility to eat when, what and how much they want.

“If you do an off-ship excursion and find yourself exhausted when you get back on ship, you can go back to your cabin and take a nap, or sit down at and have a cocktail at one of the many bars,” he said. “You don’t have to quick shower and rush to meet a dinner time.”

They are scheduled to leave Aug. 3 for Bermuda.

“Since the family will gather at our home in Branchburg, we will schedule a limousine so we can all travel together,” Ostroski said. “We’ll start our vacation with Mimosa’s mimosas on the way to New York. We like to get there as soon as the ship lets their passengers onboard. It gives us a head start on learning the ship’s landscape and a few more hours on of onboard partying.”